Loss of carparks opposed by cafe, Dunedin Railways

Plans to remove 19 car parks near  Dunedin Railway Station and replace them with  fewer parks elsewhere to make way for a cycleway has angered a  cafe and Dunedin Railways.

Both say taking parking from an area in one of Dunedin’s tourism hot spots is a big mistake.

Ironic Cafe owner Steven Wilson said while the Dunedin City Council was correct in saying last week Anzac Ave between Castle St and St Andrew St would only lose five parks, he had discovered all parks on the railway station side of that block would go.

Mr Wilson said the council had "sneakily" added eight car parks south of the  station, and five on Anzac Ave north of Bow Lane, which made the loss seem less.

Dunedin Railways chief executive Murray Bond said his company was "100% behind cycleways", but did not want to lose parking near the station.

"The biggest hindrance to people taking our train trip and spending money in Dunedin is a lack of car parking."

Council transport group manager Richard Saunders indicated yesterday the plan  might  not be a done deal, and promised more consultation. The council late last week unveiled its plans for a $7million project to improve cycleways in the city, improving connections between the NZ Transport Agency’s one-way-system cycle lanes and connecting the city and harbour’s cycleway networks. It included a new cycleway on Anzac Ave from the railway station to St Andrew St.

From St Andrew St, the cycleway would leave the road and run alongside the railway line to a new bridge over the Water of Leith. Mr Wilson said the issue was not one of cyclists and cycle safety.

"This is about providing car parks for a tourism area that has been here since the railway station was built. It’s a hub; it’s a tourism hub, a transport hub."

Tourism was growing and more parks were needed, not fewer. Removing so many car parks would be detrimental to his business.

Mr Wilson said he agreed cycle tourism was important, and would be more so when a cycleway around the harbour was completed. But he said there was an option to run the cycleway inside the fence in the car park used on Saturdays by the Otago Farmers Market.

Mr Bond said Dunedin Railways  did not want to lose car parking near the station.

"We lose passengers every day through summer because there’s a shortage of car parks."

If people could not find a park "they disappear somewhere else and don’t spend the money". More car parks, were  needed.

Mr Bond said tourism was the biggest growth industry in Dunedin and New Zealand, numbers showed no signs of slowing, and more people would be in the area when Cadbury World opened in Castle St.

"That’s going to put more pressure on car-parking."

The issue was brought up yesterday at the infrastructure services and networks committee by Cr David Benson-Pope, who asked for assurance all other solutions had been considered for Anzac Ave.

Council transport group manager Richard Saunders told the committee all businesses and stakeholders had been spoken to.

"There are a number of options for that stretch of road. It’s very much on the table that we could look at something else."

Asked if that could include a partial or full one-way section for the block, Mr Saunders said there had been discussions with the NZTA  and the agency indicated it was "happy to have that conversation".

If there was a better solution, the work could be deferred.

There was also consideration of changes at the front of the railway station, where buses parked "in probably the worst position for those wanting to take photographs".

Mr Saunders said after the meeting the council would have more discussions with stakeholders before a decision was made.

david.loughrey@odt.co.nz